


she's spinning 'round in my head

by ibrokeeverything



Category: Kuragehime | Princess Jellyfish
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:48:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26706994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibrokeeverything/pseuds/ibrokeeverything
Summary: "God, when had he gotten so sappy? A girl changing the water in a jellyfish tank was literally the least glamorous thing he’d ever seen in his life. So, why was a warmth blooming in his chest, stretching out, and taking root? An indescribable fondness gripped his heart that made him simultaneously want to reach out and kiss her and also pull his hair out."OrKuranosuke is head over heels for Tsukimi.
Relationships: Koibuchi Kuranosuke/Kurashita Tsukimi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	she's spinning 'round in my head

Beauty, the funny and fickle thing it was, had Kuranosuke thinking. Beauty was always easy to define, right? It came in many forms, but he’d never questioned what it meant before. Beauty was simple. It was the delicate frilled ruffle on the hem of a dress. It was the curve of a curl so carefully placed in the strands of one of his wigs. It was the soothing tones of a lullaby drifting off his mother’s lips when he was a child. Beauty was the one thing he had always known and always been comfortable with. With the practiced sweep of a brush, he could transform his face into something more feminine, softer. It was something he had mastery over, even if that sounded a bit brash. 

Now, he found himself questioning that very concept, the one that had been steeped into his very soul. What led to him having an existential crisis at eleven o’clock in the morning, you may ask? What had him questioning his whole worldview whilst sitting on the couch in the Amamizu-kan shared living room? Tsukimi, decked out in her usual grey sweatshirt and pants, was squinting at some water samples, mumbling about pH and salinity or something. She fiddled with droppers and cards covered in different colors and numbers, checking little tubes of water for the right levels of... something. He’d learned very early on that taking care of jellyfish was not as simple as it seemed. They were apparently very particular about the quality of the water in the tank. Anyway, the fundamentals of jellyfish care were not what had him so rattled. 

Tsukimi, the girl who was self-proclaimed not pretty and not a princess, had him captivated. Her bangs brushed over her glasses as she leaned over the tank. A stray strand of hair slipped from her braids, falling to lay across her cheek. She chewed her bottom lip, leaving it a flushed pink, before cautiously dumping something into the bucket of water sitting beside her. Something mumbled to Clara in a voice so sweet it made his heart ache reached his ears. He couldn’t quite make out the words, but they hardly mattered. All that mattered was the lovely smile slipping over her features, rounding out her cheeks and crinkling the corners of her eyes. 

He leaned back, eyes cast up toward the ceiling. The lights, responsible for the comfy glow Amamizu-kan seemed to have, now burned his eyes, forcing him to squint and blink against the offending brightness. God, when had he gotten so sappy? A girl changing the water in a jellyfish tank was literally the least glamorous thing he’d ever seen in his life. So, why was a warmth blooming in his chest, stretching out, and taking root? An indescribable fondness gripped his heart that made him simultaneously want to reach out and kiss her and also pull his hair out. Frustration clawed at him, making him want to crawl out of his own skin. Everything about it was just so irritating, he couldn’t stand it. Affection tussled with his preconceived notions of beauty, tangling up a whole mess of emotions he simply didn’t want to deal with. For some godforsaken reason, the affection for this girl, who never learned how to properly style an outfit or put on makeup, was winning out.

When had his perfect life plan derailed? Sometime along the line, she had wormed her way into his heart. It was easy enough to blame the start of it all, that late night when she had quite literally fallen into his life, rolling to a stop at the toes of his boots. If that Marine Garden employee hadn’t kicked her from the closing door, he likely would have just walked on by, never taking a second glance. Now here he was, practically unable to stop looking at her. But, if he was being realistic, it was every moment after that had her becoming an essential part of his life. With each day that passed, he found himself less and less able to picture a future without her in it. At some point, she became a fixture of his days, just as much as getting dressed or brushing his teeth. So much so, that it felt almost unnatural to have a day where he didn’t swing by Amamizu-kan or at least send a quick text message to Tsukimi. 

“Tsukimi?” Her name tumbled out of his mouth before he even realized he was talking. He stared at the back of her head for a few moments, before realizing she hadn’t even heard him. Too engrossed in her task, she gently poured the bucket of water into Clara’s tank, careful not to splash any water out onto the floor. Grabbing a soft cloth, she started wiping down the outside of the tank, scrubbing at any stray fingerprints and streaks. “Tsukimi?” He tried again, putting a little more emphasis on the word, speaking a bit louder. Her head spun around, eyes darting to find his figure, draped across the sofa. 

“What is it?” She asked, tilting her head slightly to one side. Why did she have to be so endearing? 

Sucking in a deep breath, he sat up straighter from where he had been reclining back against the cushions. “Remember the day you got Clara? The day we first met?” Of course she would, it had only been a few months, but asking seemed to be the best way to broach the subject. 

“I could never forget it! I got Clara after all.” She turned back to the tank, watching the spotted jellyfish drift with the current, aimlessly puttering about. 

A peal of laughter bubbled up in his chest. “You were so scary,” he chuckled. The image played in his mind. He had just turned the corner onto the street when he saw her, shoulder crammed into the door, ranting at the dumbfounded employee about secretions and species compatibility. The man looked at her like she was a crazy person. She wasn’t crazy though, just passionate. 

“I- I was not scary.” She stiffened up, a pink flush washing across her cheeks. “I was trying to save Clara’s life.” Her tone oozed defensiveness, but the expression on her face clearly betrayed the embarrassment she felt. 

“That employee certainly seemed to think you were.” He was pretty sure the man threatened to call the cops on her whilst shoving her out the door. Who did that? Threatening to call the police on someone as harmless as Tsukimi seemed frankly absurd. “Anyway, I never said it was a bad thing,” he replied, tone softening into something maybe a little too sweet. It didn’t matter though, Tsukimi seemed as oblivious as they come when it came to his feelings toward her. “How is Clara doing?” 

Tsukimi launched into a speech, rambling about Clara’s condition excitedly. He was interested in Clara, he really was, but what caught his interest more was simply watching Tsukimi talk about her. She got this sparkle in her eye and life was breathed into her. She’d gesture animatedly, delving into the specifics of her pet’s life. He found himself smiling without meaning too, the corners of his lips tugging up without his permission. Eventually she slowed down, rambling turned to a meandering stream of consciousness. 

“I’m glad she’s doing well,” he offered, turning his attention to the jellyfish in question. She really was cute, he could definitely see the appeal she held. All pink, frilly, and spotted, she practically belonged on a runway. 

Before long though, he remembered he hadn’t just stopped by on a whim. “What time is it?” He wondered out loud, turning on his phone to check the time. It was only 11:30, and his class didn’t start until 1:00. He had stopped by Amamizu-kan on his way, wanting to get out of the house for a while before class. He’d come to love the feel of the place; it felt almost more like home than his own house, despite not actually living there. 

A choked squeak came from Tsukimi. Throwing a confused look her way, he noticed she was standing all rigid and a flustered look was plastered on her face. “What’s the problem?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow up. 

“Am I- Is that- Your lock screen...” She trailed off, not able to form a full sentence. 

“What about it-” he started, but cut off as soon as he processed what she meant. The photo on his phone, lit up with the time shown over top, was of Tsukimi. She was pressed up against a pane of glass, glasses slightly askew. Behind the glass was dozens of jellyfish. They were pure white with fluttering tendrils trailing behind, all scattered about the tank like a work of art. The blue glow of the lighting bathed Tsukimi in a soft cerulean tone. He had taken the picture while she was absorbed in watching them, her mother’s favorite species, so she wouldn’t notice. 

“You weren’t supposed to see that," he sputtered out, his whole face growing uncomfortably warm. Kuranosuke scrambled for his phone, clutching it tight to his chest, fingers that ended in perfectly manicured nails wrapped fiercely around the offending device. “I have to go to class,” he announced suddenly, knowing full well that he had over an hour before he needed to go. He stood up and stalked over to the door, kicking off his slippers and hastily yanking his shoes on. “See you later,” he mumbled, shoving open the door without looking back. He didn’t need to see her to know that Tsukimi was still standing in the living room, shock written all over her face. 

He glared at the sidewalk as he walked, like it had personally wronged him in some way. He’d been too careless, he’d probably scared her away for good this time. Ah, this was a mess. He’d have to face her again at some point or another, but for now, running and hiding seemed like the best course of action.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared down at the lock screen. Some of the tension ebbed from his body. He heaved a long sigh before putting the phone away again. Even if not his conventional view of beauty, she was somehow the prettiest girl he’d even seen, and definitely a princess in his eyes. If only she could see what he saw. Someday he’d find a way to show her. Even if it took a lifetime, he’d make sure she saw the beauty he did. 


End file.
